Main idea of the bill

Overall, the measures will see an *increase** in FTB-B rates for families whose youngest child is aged under one year, accompanied by a reduction in payment rates for all FTB-A families, a significant reduction in FTB-B payment rates for single parents and grandparent carers with teenagers, and the loss of FTB-B for couple families whose youngest child is aged 13 or over, and for single parents and grandparent carers whose youngest child is aged 17 or 18.* [Emphasis added]

In other words, there are increases in benefits for some families with children under one year old and reductions for some families with teenage children.

Main idea of the bill

This bill introduces four measures that will save the Government money. They were first announced in either the 2014 budget or the 2015 budget and this is the second time the Government has tried to pass them. The measures include:

reducing the period of time some pensioners can receive the full means tested rate of payment while they are overseas from 26 weeks to six weeks;

The majority wanted to pass the bills in the House of Representatives (in parliamentary jargon, they voted to give the bills a third reading). The bills will now go to the Senate to see if the senators agree with the members of parliament (MPs) and also want to pass the bills. If they do, the bills will become law.

What do the bills do?

The bills introduce several of the Social Services Portfolio budget measures that the Government hasn't been able to pass yet.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree to the amendments made in the Senate,(Read more about the amendments here. ) which means that the bill will now become law. This is because the Senate had agreed to the bill, subject to their amendments being accepted by the House of Representatives, which had previously agreed to the bill.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. )

This bill repeals the Minerals Resource Rent Tax as well as related measures such as the low income superannuation contribution, the income support bonus and the schoolkids bonus. The bill also revises the capital allowances for small business entities and the superannuation guarantee charge percentage increase.(Read more about the changes made in the bill in the explanatory memorandum. ) Under the previous Labor government, the superannuation was set to increase to 12 per cent by 2019 (as of 1 July 2014, it is at 9.5 per cent).(Read more about superannuation in Australia here.) However, this bill will push that rise up until 1 July 2025.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a third time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the bill is passed in the House of Representatives and that it will now be sent to the Senate for their consideration.

This bill repeals the Minerals Resource Rent Tax as well as related measures such as the low income superannuation contribution, the income support bonus and the schoolkids bonus. The bill also revises the capital allowances for small business entities and the superannuation guarantee charge percentage increase.(Read more about the changes made in the bill in the explanatory memorandum. ) Under the previous Labor government, the superannuation was set to increase to 12 per cent by 2019 (as of 1 July 2014, it is at 9.5 per cent).(Read more about superannuation in Australia here.) However, this bill will push that rise up until 1 July 2025.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree to the bill.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agreed with the bill and that the House of Representatives can now decide on whether to read the bill for a third time and therefore pass it in the House.

This bill repeals the Minerals Resource Rent Tax as well as related measures such as the low income superannuation contribution, the income support bonus and the schoolkids bonus. The bill also revises the capital allowances for small business entities and the superannuation guarantee charge percentage increase.(Read more about the changes made in the bill in the explanatory memorandum. ) Under the previous Labor government, the superannuation was set to increase to 12 per cent by 2019 (as of 1 July 2014, it is at 9.5 per cent).(Read more about superannuation in Australia here.) However, this bill will push that rise up until 1 July 2025.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agreed with the main idea of the bill and that the House can now discuss it in more detail.

This bill repeals the Minerals Resource Rent Tax as well as related measures such as the low income superannuation contribution, the income support bonus and the schoolkids bonus. The bill also revises the capital allowances for small business entities and the superannuation guarantee charge percentage increase.(Read more about the changes made in the bill in the explanatory memorandum. ) Under the previous Labor government, the superannuation was set to increase to 12 per cent by 2019 (as of 1 July 2014, it is at 9.5 per cent).(Read more about superannuation in Australia here.) However, this bill will push that rise up until 1 July 2025.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read these bills a third time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the bills and want to pass them in the House of Representatives. The bills will now be sent to the Senate for their consideration.

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree to the bills.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the bills as they stand during the consideration in detail stage and will now decide whether to read them for a third time and therefore pass them in the House of Representatives.

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read these bills a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the main idea of the bills and that the House will not discuss them in more detail.

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the main idea of the bill and that they can now consider it in more detail.

maintain the indexation pause on the Child Care Rebate (CCR) limit at $7500 for three years from 1 July 2014; and

maintain the Child Care Benefit (CCB) income thresholds at the amounts applicable as at 30 June 2014 for three years from 1 July 2014.

Normally, the CCR limit and CCB income test thresholds are indexed on an annual basis to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). These measures constitute a freeze on the annual indexation of these amounts.(Read more about these measure in the bills digest. )

The Government announced this freeze on the indexation of the CCB income test threshold in the 2014–15 Budget. It is part of a broader measure that affects the indexation of income test thresholds for major welfare payments.(Read more about the background to the bill in the bills digest.)

The majority voted against an amendment to the original motion that the bill be read a second time, which was:

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"the House declines to give the Bill a second reading as:

(1) the Government has failed to provide sufficient information about the impact on families of the changes to the Child Care Benefit;

(2) the Government has not completed an assessment of impacts on workforce participation of the changes to the Child Care Benefit;

(3) the changes to the Child Care Benefit should not be legislated just weeks before the Productivity Commission inquiry into Childcare and Early Childhood Learning provides its interim report;

(4) families have not had a chance to have their say on these changes; and

(5) for these reasons, calls on the Government to remove the changes to the Child Care Benefit, set out in Item 2 of Schedule 1, from this Bill, to allow separate and fully informed consideration by the Parliament of the changes to the Child Care Rebate and the Child Care Benefit."

maintain the indexation pause on the Child Care Rebate (CCR) limit at $7500 for three years from 1 July 2014; and

maintain the Child Care Benefit (CCB) income thresholds at the amounts applicable as at 30 June 2014 for three years from 1 July 2014.

Normally, the CCR limit and CCB income test thresholds are indexed on an annual basis to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). These measures constitute a freeze on the annual indexation of these amounts.(Read more about these measure in the bills digest. )

The Government announced this freeze on the indexation of the CCB income test threshold in the 2014–15 Budget. It is part of a broader measure that affects the indexation of income test thresholds for major welfare payments.(Read more about the background to the bill in the bills digest.)

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the main idea of the bill and can now consider it in greater detail.

Background to the bill

The bill was introduced to allow for an Income Support Bonus payment to be paid to certain income support recipients. This payment would be made twice yearly to certain income support recipients from March 2013 and was announced as a measure in the 2012–13 Budget to "assist with cost of living pressures".(Read more about these measures and their background in the bills digest.)

No

No

Passed by a small majority

How
"voted moderately for"
is worked out

The MP's votes count towards a weighted average where the most important votes get
50 points,
less important votes get
10 points,
and less important votes for which the MP was absent get
2 points.
In important votes the MP gets awarded the full
50 points
for voting the same as the policy,
0 points
for voting against the policy, and
25 points
for not voting. In less important votes, the MP gets
10 points
for voting with the policy,
0 points
for voting against, and
1
(out of 2)
if absent.

Then, the number gets converted to a simple english language phrase based on the range of values it's within.

No of votes

Points

Out of

Most important votes (50 points)

MP voted with policy

3

150

150

MP voted against policy

0

0

0

MP absent

2

50

100

Less important votes (10 points)

MP voted with policy

4

40

40

MP voted against policy

0

0

0

Less important absentees (2 points)

MP absent*

5

5

10

Total:

245

300

*Pressure of other work means MPs or
Senators are not always available to vote – it does not always
indicate they have abstained. Therefore, being absent on a less
important vote makes a disproportionatly small
difference.